Strawberry variety named &#39;Cabot&#39;

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a new and distinct variety of strawberry ( Fragaria ananassa ) named ‘Cabot’ characterized by its few, small flowers, large calyx, large and light colored fruit, and resistance to red stele root. The invention is distinct from other varieties, but most similar to ‘Bounty’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention includes a new and distinct cultivar of Fragaria ananassa known by the varietal name ‘Cabot’, originally designated as “K92-17”. The new variety resulted from a controlled cross in an ongoing breeding program between the strawberry plants ‘K87-5’ and ‘K86-19’. Both parents are unpatented varieties developed by the Atlantic Food and Horticulture Research Centre in Kentville. ‘Cabot’ was discovered in 1992 as a seedling in a controlled breeding plot near Sheffield Mills, Nova Scotia at the Sheffield Farm, a field-station of the Atlantic Food and Horticulture Research Centre, where it was selected and propagated asexually by stolons at the Atiantic Food and Horticulture Research Centre in Kentville. Asexual propagules from this original source have been produced annually in a greenhouse at the Atlantic Food and Horticulture Research Centre, Kentville, Canada. ‘Cabot’ has been tested at the Atlantic Food and Horticulture Research Centre (starting in 1993) and also, research centres at Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Buctouche, New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, and Pynn's Brook, Newfoundland, all of Canada. This propagation and testing has demonstrated that the combination of all traits disclosed herein which characterize the new variety are fixed and retained true to type through successive generations of asexual reproduction via stolons.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows plant parts of the new variety, typical in size, shape, and color;

FIG. 2 shows the flowers of the new variety; and

FIG. 3 shows primary fruit of the new variety in a quart box.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following detailed botanical description of the new variety is based upon measurements and observations taken of plants and fruit grown in Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada. Observations were taken from each variety as grown in a side-by-side field trial. Color designations, color descriptions, and other phenotypical descriptions may deviate from the stated values and description depending upon variation in the environment, seasonal, climatic and cultural conditions, however, it is believed that this description will apply to the ‘Cabot’ plants grown in similar conditions of soil and climate elsewhere. Color references are generally made to the R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London (1966 edition). Descriptive information on the new variety is presented in Tables 1 and 2. In the tables, the flowers described are secondary flowers. The fruit described is the secondary fruit of the maiden crop, thirteen or fourteen months after planting. The harvest data in Table 3 is based on a complete harvest of the crop. Principal differences between ‘Cabot’ and the unpatented variety ‘Bounty’ are set forth.

Classification: The new variety is botanically identified as Fragaria ananassa and commercially classified as a short-day strawberry.

Plant and Foliage: When propagated in the nursery, ‘Cabot’ produces low to medium numbers of runner plants, about half the runners of ‘Bounty’. Individual plants of ‘Cabot’ are large. The plants of ‘Cabot’ are of medium to high density with globose habit and strong vigor. As shown in Table 1, leaf color of ‘Cabot’ and ‘Bounty’ are Green Group 137A on the upper surface and lighter Green Group 137C on the under surface. Leaflets of ‘Cabot’ and ‘Bounty’ are about the same size and leaves of both varieties have three leaflets. ‘Cabot’ leaflets are cupped whereas ‘Bounty’ leaflets are flat. ‘Bounty’ leaflets have moderate numbers of obtuse to rounded serrations, as does ‘Bounty’. The tip serration on ‘Cabot’ leaflets is smaller than on ‘Bounty’. The venation of ‘Cabot’ leaflets is pinnate. Leaf and petiole pubescence for ‘Cabot’ and ‘Bounty’ are similar in density. TABLE 1 Foliar Characteristics for ‘Cabot’ and ‘Bounty’ Cultivar Foliar Character ‘Cabot’ ‘Bounty’ Leaf color Green Group Green Group Upper surface 137A 137A Lower surface 137C near 137C Central leaflet Length (mm) Mean 73.0 72.9 Range 63-89 65-80 Width (mm) Mean 69.3 68.6 Range 60-83 59-82 Length/width ratio 1.05 1.06 No. leaflets/leaf 3 3 Leaf convexity cupped flat Serrations Number moderate moderate Size medium medium Shape obtuse to rounded obtuse to rounded Tip serration size small medium Leaf pubescence medium medium Petiole pubescence Density sparse to medium sparse Direction perpendicular perpendicular

Flower and Fruit Production Characteristics: The length of bloom for ‘Cabot’ is about three weeks when grown in Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada in a matted row cultural system. Flowering for ‘Cabot’ typically begins on June 1 and ends on June 21. ‘Bounty’ blooms later, typically beginning on June 5 and ending by June 26. As shown in Table 2, the flower truss of ‘Cabot’ is shorter than for ‘Bounty’ and opens lower in relation to the canopy. ‘Cabot’ flower trusses produce fewer flowers than does ‘Bounty’. Flowers of ‘Cabot’ and the reference variety are white. The anther color is Yellow-Orange Group 17A. Secondary flowers of ‘Cabot’ are similar to ‘Bounty’ in size. Secondary flowers of ‘Cabot’ have 5, 6, or 7 petals while ‘Bounty’ has 5 or 6 petals. The inner calyx of ‘Cabot’ has a distinctively larger diameter than the outer calyx of ‘Bounty’; the inner calyx is smaller than the outer calyx. Trusses of ‘Cabot’ are either semi-erect or prostrate at first picking. The position of the calyx is even with the top of the berry to slightly raised for ‘Cabot’ and even with the top of the berry for ‘Bounty’. The calyx is easily separated from the fruit for ‘Bounty’ but more difficult for ‘Cabot’. The fruit of ‘Cabot’ are much larger than for ‘Bounty’. The ratio of fruit length to width is 1.02 for ‘Cabot’ and 0.84 for ‘Bounty’. ‘Cabot’ fruit are conic and the larger berries may have a rough appearance with bumps of the shoulders. Fruit of ‘Cabot’ are firmer than ‘Bounty’. As shown in Table 2, the fruit color of ‘Cabot’ is lighter, both externally and internally, than for ‘Bounty’. The achenes of ‘Cabot’ are Green-Yellow Group 1A but darken to Orange-Red Group 34A on the shoulders of the fruit when exposed to sunlight. The larger berries of ‘Cabot’ may be hollow. TABLE 2 Flower and Fruit Characteristics for ‘Cabot’ and ‘Bounty’ Cultivar Character ‘Cabot’ ‘Bounty’ Flower position even above (relative to leaf canopy) Flower truss length short-medium medium-long (21.6 cm) (24.8 cm) Number of  7.3 14.8 flowers/truss Number of petals  6.0  5.6 Flower size 29.4 30.7 (mm diameter) Flower color White White Petal length (mm) 11.6 11.8 Petal width (mm) 10.7 12.0 Petal spacing spaced to slightly spaced to overlapping overlapping Calyx size Inner calyx 28.8 26.6 (mm diam.) Outer calyx 24.0 29.9 (mm diam.) Calyx position even to slightly above even Adherence of medium to strong weak the calyx Fruit Size Length (mm) 37.5 23.8 Width (mm) 36.6 28.2 Fruit shape Length/width ratio  1.02  0.84 Subjective conic short-conic Seed position even even Fruit firmness medium to firm soft Skin toughness medium medium Color (R.H.S. Colour Chart) Calyx Green Group near 137C Green Group 137D Fruit exterior Red Group near 46B Red Group near 46A Fruit interior Pith Red Group 43C Red Group near 45A Cortex Red Group 42B Red Group near 45A Disease Resistance: ‘Cabot’ is resistant to red stele root (Phytophthora fragariae) while ‘Bounty’ is susceptible. ‘Cabot’ and ‘Bounty’ are moderately resistant to powdery mildew (Sphaerotheca macularis). ‘Cabot’ is rated as susceptible to fruit rot (Botrytis cinerea) whereas ‘Bounty’ is moderately susceptible.

Production Characteristics: ‘Cabot’ has produced high yields, generally higher than ‘Bounty’, as shown in Table 3. In years when fruit rot has been a problem, ‘Cabot’ has had more unmarketable fruit than ‘Bounty’. The fruit of ‘Cabot’ are much.larger than. ‘Bounty’. The mean harvest date for ‘Cabot’ is about three days earlier than for ‘Bounty’. TABLE 3 Performance of ‘Cabot’ and ‘Bounty’ in 1996 and 1997 at Kentville, Nova Scotia. * Total yield % yield Size Mean harvest (t/ha) marketable (g/fruit) (day of year) 1996 ‘Cabot’ 33.8 77.6 23.4 194.3 ‘Bounty’ 27.4 90.1 10.4 197.2 1997 ‘Cabot’ 23.7 94.3 17.0 197.5 ‘Bounty’ 20.9 92.2 8.7 200.5 * Plants were grown in matted rows and four blocks of 3 m long rows were harvested each year. 

1. The new and distinct variety of strawberry plant named ‘Cabot’ as described and illustrated. 